Results. Risk of suicide attempt in the previous year had four significant predictors: number of self-harm incidents during the
previous year, violent incidents towards others during the previous year, number of follow-ups by mental health clinics and
number of involuntary hospitalisations during the previous year (R2 = 0Æ337, adjusted R2 = 0Æ334, F = 133Æ19, p = 0Æ000).
Conclusion. Health care providers should assess rural outpatients with schizophrenia for suicidal thoughts by asking simple
questions to evaluate for a history of self-harm and violence and by comparing this information with health system data on
follow-ups by mental health clinics and involuntary hospitalisations.
Relevance to clinical practice. Community-based health providers may use these results to prioritise assessments when they have
a high case load of patients with schizophrenia. Community-based nurses need to be trained to recognise these four predictors to
increase their sensitivity to suicidality among patients with schizophrenia.